The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-12-23
CHAPTER VIII.
N APPALLING STRUGGLE

Once more we were on board and awayI
We would soon know whether we were to
have q clear track at Adairsville or to re-
peat the vexatious and dangerous expert
ence of Kingston. Once more the engine
was given full force; we in the box car
were thrown from side to side, sometimes
little roughly; but this did not diminish
our joy over the rapid motion which was
"devouring" the distance between us and
our friends in TENNESSEE AS we came in
sight of the station, there to our great
satisfaction lay the freight train, which,
indeed, had long been waiting for us,
as we were now a half hour behind
the time of Fuller's passenger train, and
also waiting for the morning passenger
train from Chattanooga, which should
have overtaken the freight at this point,
but which was also late. Indeed, the
panic in Chattanooga and the extra trains
on the road had disordered the whole
schedule and enormously increased our
difficulties. As we came near the sta
ton, speed was slackened and we stopped
on tho main track beside the through
freight. Andrews at once answered the
usual storm of questions and asked others
in turn. He heard still more of Mitchel's
operations, how he seemed to have
captured all their trains on the western
road, so that for twenty-four hours not q
car had got through, and that the tele-
grams were being interrupted further and
further up the road, so that, from every
indication, he was coming to Chattanooga.
But Andrews was still more interested in
asking news of the down passenger train.
which was now half an hour late. No in
formation was received, but the freight
conductor had determined to run on south
on the arrival of Fuller's train, in har-
mony with their rule of railroading at
that time, by which following train was
to be waited for only certain length Of
time, after which the waiting train had
the right to proceed. Andrews approved
Of that intention, saying that Fuller with
the regular train would probably wait for
him at Kingston. Andrews might have
held this train here by giving message
as from Fuller, but he preferred to get rid
Of it, so that if compelled to back before
the belated passenger, it might not be in
the way; and if compelled to fight, the
fewer of the enemy the better; otherwise
its running down to the place Of the bro
ke1 rail was undesirable. The conductor
said to Andrews:
"You of course will remain here until
to overhaul me at Kingstonp'
"No," returned Andrews, 81 must &C
at oncel the fate of the army hangs on my
getting promptly through with those car
loads Of ammunition. Suppose the Yam
KEGS attack Beauregardl He has not pow
der enough for three hours fight
This was startling possibility, and
forgetting all about Mitchell being in the
way, the conductor (the men on both sides
had heard the conversation, but had not
Joined in it, periodically said:
sect through by all means; but you
viii have to run very slow and put flag
man ont on every curve, or you will have
q collision,n
Andrews answered quickly: ~ will
attend to that" stepped on his own engine
Could any situation be imagined by poet
or novelist more trying than that of this
carload Of Union soldiers shut up In the
midst of Confederate trainsl
But we were not called upon to quiet
the "uneasiness" outside, which was fully
as great as knight had described, in any
such summary manner. Andrews played
his part with SURPRISING skill. The people
around, and especially the old switch ten
der, began to grumble something about
being sure that all was not right. A good
many questions were asked as to why
Fuller, with the regular train, was not
along by this time, and why the superin-
tendent of the road at Atlanta had not
sent notice Of the powder train. Andrews
answered each suggested question very
briefly and plausibly, but without appear
ing at all anxious about their opinion;
grumbled a little about the bad manage
ment of road that would allow its track
to be blocked at time like this, and gave
accounts of himself in the camp of Beaure-
gard with an air so confident and truthful
that no one yentured to question him. I
think there was only one thing, aside
from the dangerous delay, which he really
dreaded. He kept very near the tele-
graph Office, and, without seeming to do
50, closely watched the operator The at
tempt TO telegraph any kind of message
mp the line would have probably brought
on an immediate collision,
Brown relates curious little episode as
occurring here. He noticed q man who
watched Andrews for short time, and
then, when no one else was near, stepped
close to him and handed him large and
seemingly well filed envelope. Andrews
smiled and placed It In his vest pocket.
Brown intended to ask about it, but more
pressing business put 1t out OF his mind.
Probably this was an incident of Andrews
contraband trade, and the package con-
tanned an order for goods, with the money
to pay for them.
Fuller and his party were now not many
miles away, and were making more rapid
time toward rs than had ever been made
on that road before But we knew noth-
ing Of that-supposed that we were still
an hour ahead Of any pursuit that could
be imagined. We had been at this place
one hour and i've minutesl It seemed to
those shut up in the box car nearer half
dayi and when the whistle Of a train was
heard, which fortunately for us was first
from the north-not the pursuing train
from the south--it was about as welcome
as the boom Of Mitchel's cannon, with
which we expected to be greeted in the
evening when our work was done. This